In light of the recent People’s Climate March in New York City and around the world on Sunday, September 21st, we have been given space to consider the effects of climate change on our lives. But have you ever considered what population is most affected? The answer is our brothers and sisters who are surviving on minimal means! They are the ones suffering the most from the occurrence of hurricanes (like Katrina), flooding, intensive storms and droughts. Usually, they are the ones who experience the negative results of fracking, coal mines, toxic chemical plants, mountain top removal, oil drilling, etc.

St. Francis realized this fact as far back as the 12th century. His love and concern for his less fortunate brothers and sisters led to his interest in and concern for the Earth! The Feast of St. Francis celebrated on Oct. 4th reminds us of our duty to care for God’s creation, to assess how we contribute to climate change by our energy use and thoughtless consumption, and to change our choices and behaviors to favor the health of our Earth.

The lesson is this: be aware that your actions contribute to the FUTURE well-being of our Earth while simultaneously indirectly providing care NOW for your brothers and sisters whose situation requires them to live a very simple life or less.